Loose-leaf binder.



1. SCHADLJR. LOOSE LEAF BiNDER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 8. l9l5.

Patented Dec. 7, 1915.

L 8 Q 2 f M V 3 2 .u W6 n v u 0 3/ F 1, 2 2 m v v .3 8, a 6 68 WITNESSES:

en rrnn sures PATENT anion d'OI-IN SGI'IADE,JR., OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNORTO NATIONAL BLANK BOOK COMPANY, OF HOLYOKE, MASSACHUSETTS, A VOLUNTARY TRUST ASSOCIATION'OF COPABTNERSHIP, HAVING AS TRUSTEES J. W. TOWNE, F. B TOWNE, E. S. TOWNE,

J. M. TOWNE, AND 12, VW. WILSON;

LOOSE-LEAF BINDEB.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented nee. raisin,

Application filed January 8, 1915; Serial 'N 0. 1,195.

city of Brooklyn, county of Kings, State of;

New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Loose-Leaf Binders; and I do declare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to loose leaf binders, but more particularly has reference to that classof such devices in which a pair of prong carrying members is pivotally connected at the inner meeting edges and combined with means for causing the opening and ,closing of the prongs to be effected with a spring action.

In my present invention I employ prong carrying members which are closely abutted at their meeting edges and have no inherent spring qualities, but these members are confined by spring clasps, and when the prongs are opened and closed these clasps will resiliently yield and recover so as to impart a spring action.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate my invention Figure 1 is a plan view of aloose leaf binder constructed in accordance with my improvement, and Fig. 2 is a section at the line 6, Z), of Fig. 1. c

Similar numerals of reference denote like parts in both figures of the drawing.

1 are the prong carrying members, 2 the prongs carried thereby, and 3, 4c, are little lips projecting from the meeting edges of said members and overlapping opposing members just as is shown and described in my pending application No. 853,434, filed July 27, 1914.

These lips are merely one way of pivoting or hinging the prong carrying members together and my present invention is not limited to any especialimeans for effecting this pivoting or hinging.

Referring particularly to Fig. 1, these members 1 are made of steel, and the complemental portions 2, which form rings when closed, are riveted or otherwise secured to these members.

-5 are the clasps which comprise comparatively narrow trough like metal parts comprising at their sides upstanding resilient flanges or'lips 6.

8 are small openings out within the members 1 and oppositely disposed in pairs, and the clasps 5 are applied to the members 1 by forcing the lips 6 through these openings.

The normal distance between the lips 6 is substantially equal to the straight line distance between the inner edges of the openings 8 when the members 1 are in the position which they assume when the clasps are either fully closed or fully opened as is illustrated at Fig. 2, and it will be clear that when the prongs are operated, either for the purpose of opening or closing them, the straight line distance between the inner edges of opposing openings 8 will increase to a maximum which latter occurs whenthe members 1 are substantially in the same plane, or, in other words, on a dead center, and this action will, of course, distend the lips 6, but when the members 1, along their line of pivoting, are thrown either above or below this dead center, the lips 6 will recover and by their resiliency will cause the final opening or closing of theprongs to be effected with a spring action. These openings 8 are cut in the members 1 intermediate the side edges of the members, and there may be as many pairs of these openings distributed throughout the length of the members 1 as may be found necessary. Also, it is not necessary that the clasps be applied to these openings'so that the lips 6 all extend in one direction, because such clasps may be reversed, and some of them be applied so that the spring lips will extend beneath the members 1 while the others will be applied so that such lips will extend above such members, and I therefore do not wish to be limited in this respect since they gist of my invention rests in the idea of a plurality of resilient clasps applied at suitable locations through openings formed intermediate the side edges of the prong carrying members. i I claim- 1. In a device of the character described, a pair of prong carrying members pivoted together at their inner edges and having oppositely disposed openings out therethrough at locations intermediate the side edges of such members, and resilient clasps applied to the members through said openlngs.

2. In a device of the character described, a pair of flat prong carrying members pivoted together at their inner edges andhaving a plurality of oppositely disposed openings cut therethrough at locations intermediate the side edges of such members, in

combination with a plurality of clasps each having oppositely disposed spring lips which are engaged Within each pair of such openings, whereby the opening and closing of said prongs will be effected With a spring action.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of tWo Witnesses.

JOHN SCHADE, JR. Witnesses:

F. W. SMITH, Jr., J. M. TOWNE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

